Quick Specs

Editors' Note:Beta or prerelease software is not intended for inexperienced users, as the software may contain bugs or potentially damage your system. We strongly recommend that users exercise caution and save all mission-critical data before installing and/or using this software.

Editors' Review

Dropbox for Mac is a convenient cloud storage system that lets you access your files on any computer with an Internet connection. Installing the app is quick and easy, and you can set up a free account to try out the program to see if it's a good fit.

Pros

Smooth integration: This app integrates seamlessly with your Mac, and you can access it directly at any time through the icon on the top toolbar. You can also open any of the Dropbox files on your computer through your Mac's Finder feature. And when you want to save an item to Dropbox, all you have to do is select it as the location from the drop-down menu in the Save window.

Access from anywhere: When you have files saved in a Dropbox account, you can access them from any computer or mobile device with an Internet connection. Even if the Dropbox app isn't installed on the device you're using, you can log in to your account on the Dropbox Web site and find your files that way.

Cons

Dashboard interface: Once Dropbox is installed on your Mac, there really is no dashboard-type interface you can access without going on the Dropbox Web site. While this doesn't have to be a major drawback, it can be a bit of an inconvenience for users who prefer that type of interface.

Bottom Line

Dropbox for Mac is straightforward to use and makes sharing your files with others or accessing them remotely easier than ever. When you open a Dropbox account, you'll get up to 2GB of storage for free. You can earn up to 16GB more, also for free, by referring friends to the service. And if you need even more space, upgrading to a Pro account gets you 100GB or more of storage with rates starting at $9.99 per month.

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Publisher's Description

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From Dropbox:
Have you ever wished that you could access your files from anywhere? We made Dropbox because we were tired of e-mailing files to ourselves or carrying around a USB key.
Once installed, Dropbox is just like any other folder on your computer, but with a twist. Any file you put in it will synchronize both to any other computers you may have on Dropbox, as well as to the web. Furthermore, any changes you make to any of your files will be sync'd up to all your other computers instantly, across Windows, Mac and Linux. Dropbox also makes it very easy to share and collaborate on files with others.

What's new in this version:

Easily move files into Dropbox with the Badge [this option appears on saving a file, and is being rolled out to a subset of users]

Now, for shared files, the Badge notifies you if your collaborators made changes since the last time you opened the file [this is being rolled out to a subset of users]

I downloaded 3.5.63 a few days ago. Now they're releasing 3.4.6!! Can somebody PLEASE explain to me WHY there are new version releases almost every day or every other day, and the version numbers just don't make any sense at all? They go up, they go down -- *** is going on??? Geeeeez....

It does what it does, and I don't pay much attention to it, other than just using it.

Cons

Why is there an update released almost every day of the week?? And not only that, there seem to be two concurrent updated versions being released all the time. I see a version number via CNET Download, then later in the day I see a version number EARLIER (lower) than the one I just uploaded and installed. It's extremely confusing to know if I'm installing a NEWER version, or an OLDER one, or which one I SHOULD BE installing. What gives with that?

To many updates!! I get anywhere from 5 to 10 updates a month! What is wrong with the program that it needs that many corrections every month??!! No other program I have has that many updates in a single year!

Summary

Good and easy to use but be prepared to update far more then the average program.

Three, four and up to ten updates per month? What is with you guys? I haven't had any problems with it so the problems you are apparently fixing are not critical. Wait for a couple of weeks and them put out a monthly up-date. See for yourself. Look at all the versions under Previous Versions below.

Summary

Use it, but ignore all up-dates except one a month. That has worked for me and I have had zero problems with it.

Easy interface! Reliable. As a bonus, it is a great way to share large files!

Cons

Can't think of any!

Summary

I am a 'back-up' maniac and use a number of different sites and devices. Dropbox is right up there at the top of my preferred options! I've been using it for a number of years and can't imagine any reason to cease doing so.

Dropbox works seamlessly in the background to sync your files. No issues at all.

Cons

My last download of Dropbox, through the CNET installer also hijacked my browsers (Safari, Firefox and Chrome), resetting my default home pages and search engines to Yahoo, and adding Amazon and eBay buttons on my toolbars (it did the same when I downloaded Onyx through the CNET site for my wife's MacBook Pro). CNET should be ashamed of itself to allow this.

CBS is doing that. It took over CNET.
You have to look at each window that comes up during installation. If it says regular install but has custom below it, check custom then uncheck the things under that.
Also, check for a Decline notice in the lower left corner of each install window. Hit Decline. That usually comes before the other stuff that I mentioned. Just make sure to read each window before you go to the next one then you may not get all the extra junk.

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